The High King Of The Sun And His Queen Of The Moon
by estelle bolin
Summary: CHAPTER 5 IS UP! ...at one point i'm going to change the title to static. it's a peter/oc story, obviously. high king generally means peter. R
1. Queen of the castle

**A/N: **here's the rewritten version of the already rewritten first chapter. do you think it's much better? i do. don't forget to review!

* * *

Professor Kirke's house was the biggest that the Pevensie children had ever seen. Dark clouds were forming over the surrounding forest to the East, giving the dark house an ominous feeling. Inside was empty of life. The walls were lined with the type of portraits that have eyes that follow you without actually moving. They followed Mrs. Macready in silence through the dimly lit hallways. Mrs. Macready was walking too fast for them to have time to peer into the rooms with open doors, but they caught brief glimpses of suits of armor, tapestries, and shelves upon shelves of books.

Mrs. Macready left them outside the Professor's office and told them to wait. She went inside the room and shut the door sharply.

"Who are you?" They all jumped. A girl was standing down a hallway to their left. Her dark brown hair was in a long braid. A few short stray hairs framed her pale face. Her dark blue eyes were narrowed and her lips pressed into a thin line. Her arms were folded across her chest. She was dressed simply but elegantly in a blue button-up blouse and black pleated skirt with blue stockings and no shoes. Susan pulled at her checkered skirt uncomfortably. Lucy stepped shyly behind Peter and Susan.

"I'm Peter," Peter said boldly. "This is Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. And who, may I ask, are you?"

"I'm Jade," she said, scanning each of them up and down.

"Where are you from?" Susan asked kindly.

"I've lived with the Professor for as long as I can remember," she said bluntly.

"Are you related?"

"I--uh--I'm his..." she paused. "Niece. I'm his niece..."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Jade," Peter said politely.

She nodded curtly before spinning on her heel and disappearing around a corner. They stared down the hallway in silence.

"Well she seems..." Susan started.

"Weird," Edmund finished. They laughed nervously.

"She's pretty," Lucy commented.

"And a little bit intimidating," Susan added.

"That's for sure," Lucy agreed.

The door opened and an old man with a shock of white hair smiled down at them with his lined face. The awkward atmosphere vanished instantly. The Pevensies smiled genuinely at him. His aura was calming and his voice suggested plenty of life experience.

"Why hello there! You must be the Pevensies."

"We are," Peter said. "I'm Peter and this is Susan, Lucy, and Edmund."

"How do you do?" he asked, shaking each of their hands.

"Good," they all muttered.

"Now I see Mrs. Macready hasn't shown you to your rooms. She had to go to the stables to put the horse away... perhaps... Jade?!"

A few minutes later the girl appeared behind them.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Would you be a dear and take these fine youth to their rooms?"

She nodded and gestured to them to follow her. They grabbed their luggage and followed her.

"And be sure to show them the way to the dining room for supper!" he called after them.

Her pace was no slower than Mrs. Macready's as she led them through the intertwining hallways, up and down staircases, and through various doors.

"I will be lost for sure," Lucy huffed, struggling with her suitcase. Jade took it from her with a blank expression and they continued on. Lucy mumbled a thanks.

She led them through one final doorway before pointing to two doors.

"That is the girls' room and that is the boys.' I will come to collect you for supper in a half hour."

They nodded.

"And be sure not to wander off. It's easier than you think to get lost in here." She smiled slyly at Lucy, setting the small suitcase in front of the girls' room door and brushing past Peter.

It didn't take long to unpack and get settled. The rooms were heavily furnished in carpets and wall hangings colored in deep reds and golds, giving them a cozy feel. They assembled in the girls' room: Lucy watching the clouds roll in from a chair by the window, Edmund sprawled across Lucy's bed, Susan hugging her knees on a couch, and Peter pacing from one end of the room to the other.

"Cheer up, all. This'll be a great adventure! This place is huge! It'll take a week to thoroughly explore the house and grounds. We'll have loads of fun. I promise. The war will be over before we know it and we'll be on a train home to mum and dad."

Susan smiled a little. Lucy nodded glumly. Edmund remained indifferent.

"We'll have to take Jade everywhere with us so we won't get lost," Susan joked.

"I'm afraid you'll have to find your way by yourself most of the time," Jade said from the doorway.

"I thought you said it's easy to get lost," Lucy said.

"It is."

Nobody knew what to say.

"It's time for dinner. Come on now, wake up that one and follow me." She pointed to Edmund.

Peter tossed a pillow at Edmund, who sat up groggily and followed them out into the hallway.

The professor kept conversation flowing easily throughout the meal. The children found themselves laughing and joking with ease, even though they were talking to a grown-up. Only Jade remained silent. Peter couldn't help but watch her as she played with her food and watched her plate with absent-minded frown. She looked up at him once. Their eyes locked and Peter felt an electric shock rush through him. His eyes went wide, but Jade's face remained in the same bored expression. She looked away fleetingly.

"May I be excused?" she asked politely.

"Of course, my dear."

She stood and left the room.

"So, Professor," Susan said, "tell us about your niece. She seems... distant."

"My niece?" He seemed confused. "Oh! Jade, yes. Did she tell you I was her uncle? I'm her godfather. Her father is in America seeking opportunity."

"And her mother?"

"Er... her parents are separated. Jade has never met her mother."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"It is. She's a very gifted girl. Her parents just aren't exactly the parenting type."

"It's good she has you, then," Lucy said brightly.

"Indeed. She's definitely brightened up my life."

"Brightened?" Susan repeated.

"She's not very comfortable around new people. She is queen of the house and she will no doubt prove it to you."

"Why would she need to prove it?"

"Only Jade knows this house better than me and she's afraid you'll try to pry into her world. She's the jealous type. She won't like sharing my house's secrets with you. But in time, she'll open up. She'll grow on you, even in her present moody state. Just give it time."

* * *

The professor showed them the way from the dining room and kitchen to their rooms at a slow pace, making sure that they would be able to find their way in the morning.

"I'll speak to Jade about giving you a tour. Mrs. Macready shows tourists around often but a tour from Jade would be quite the experience. I believe she found a new door that leads to the attic last week..."

He walked away, still talking. Lucy giggled.

"We best be getting ready for bed," Susan said.

They wandered into their rooms.

Peter went into the girls' room to make sure that they were comfortable, Edmund trailing after him. The lamps in the hall had been extinguished when they headed to their own room.

"Do you remember which door it is?" Peter asked.

"How do you forget which room we're in," Edmund snapped.

"So you know which one it is?"

"Of course not." Edmund folded his arms grumpily.

Peter sighed, turning the knob of the nearest door. It was locked. He moved to the next one. It was a closet. He moved to the next door, but it opened just as he reached out to try the knob.

"Jade!" he gasped.

"Yes?" she asked coldly.

"Peter got us lost," Edmund yawned.

"Did not!"

Jade pointed straight across the hall.

"Oh," Peter said stupidly.

She rolled her eyes.

"What're you doing walking around at this hour?" Edmund asked, stifling another yawn.

She stared at him, raising an eyebrow and frowning. Edmund shrugged and went into the room.

"Goodnight," Peter said, following his brother.

She laughed airily, walking off down the hallway.

* * *

Peter tossed and turned, but couldn't seem to fall asleep. He gave up after an hour or two and decided to risk trying to find the kitchen for a glass of water. The Professor had shown them and Peter thought that he remembered where it was. But he didn't.

The house was nearly pitch-black. Peter wished he had brought a candle or an electric torch. He felt his way along one wall, trying to make it back to his room. He shuffled around a corner and stubbed his toe, swearing under his breath.

"Who's that?" Jade's voice whispered from somewhere behind him.

"Jade?"

"Peter? What are you doing?"

"I uh, I couldn't sleep. I was going to get a glass of water but I guess I should've brought a candle."

"Indeed."

There was silence. Peter remained motionless, straining his eyes to try and see her.

"Jade?" he whispered.

"Yes?"

"Do you er, would you mind helping me find my way back?"

"To the kitchen or to your room. I'm headed to the kitchen."

"The kitchen it is then."

"Can you see me?"

"Nope."

Something warm brushed his hand, shocking him. He pulled back.

"Hey! You shocked me!"

"Probably." She reached for his hand again. "But you'll have to deal with it if you want to find your way around in the dark like this."

She tugged his hand and he followed blindly. Every so often she would whisper, "Watch out for the steps." or "There's a table on your right." It bothered him that he couldn't see his own hand, let alone the person pulling him through the house.

"Is it always so dark here?"

"We just haven't passed any windows. It's a quarter moon tonight. And yes, it's usually this dark at night. Try to find your way when there's no moon. That's a challenge."

"How do you do it?"

"Practice I guess. Here you go, watch your step through this doorway. You should be able to see a little now."

Peter blinked as she led him into a room bathed in moonlight. It was like seeing in black and white. Everything was like a sketch, there were no colors, just shading. Except for Jade's eyes. They were the same dark blue that Peter remembered them being in the light.

He was taken aback when she let go of his hand and rubbed her arms. She tied her robe tighter, shivering a little.

"I'm freezing," she breathed. "Let's hurry. I could do with a cup of tea."

Her pace had quickened considerably as she headed through room after room.

"The hall is much too dark. It starts to bother my eyes," she explained.

They wove through various rooms silently before Jade opened a door and took Peter's hand again, smirking into the darkness as she shut the door and cut off all light. It felt like the darkness stretched on forever, but they took about six steps before making it into the kitchen. Jade lit a candle in the fireplace and set it on the wooden table in the corner of the room.

"Glasses are in there." She pointed to a cupboard behind Peter.

He nodded and opened it, picking up the first cup he saw and heading to the sink. Jade put the kettle in the large stone fireplace and sat at the table.

"I suppose you'll have to wait until I'm done before you go back to bed."

"Unless I want to get lost again, yes."

She chuckled, watching the kettle with a smooth and comfortable expression. It was very different from her scowls and bored expressions that Peter had watched during dinner. She rested her head against the wall behind her and put her feet up on one of the chairs. Peter sat opposite her, sipping his water slowly even though he was really thirsty.

"The Professor tells us that you're queen of the house."

She grinned. "I guess I am."

"Do you think you could try to teach me how to get around without getting lost in the dark?"

"In the dark? You have no chance. In the light? I might be able to help you. There is a small fee..."

"Fee?" he looked up at her, unconvinced. She laughed her feathery laugh.

"Maybe sometime this week. It would be nice if at least one of you knew the general map of the house. I can't come and rescue you all the time."

"You do seem to run into me in times of need, though."

She laughed, getting up to take the kettle off the fire. She bustled around the kitchen before settling down in her same seat, staring across the table at Peter. He could feel the color rising in his cheeks but didn't look away. He knew it was a test. He smiled. She smiled back, stirring her tea.

"What do you do here all day by yourself?" Peter asked finally, getting up to refill his glass.

"Lots of things."

He smiled. "What kind of things?"

She didn't answer but Peter could see her smiling behind the tea-cup.

"Ready to go?" she asked, standing to put her glass in the sink.

He chugged the water and set it in the sink. "Yes."

He reached for her hand. She looked at it a little warily but took it and led him back to his room in silence.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," she breathed in his ear, sending a cold shiver down his spine.

He crept across the room and into his bed, trying not to wake Edmund. He stubbed his toe again on one of the bed posts and cried out involuntarily.

"Pete?" Edmund rolled over.

"Sorry, Ed. Go back to sleep."

"Where've you been?"

"I went to get a drink of water. Go back to sleep."

Peter got into bed and busied himself straightening the sheets that he had twisted from rolling over so many times.

"Night," Edmund yawned.

"Night."

Peter fell back into the pillows and sighed.

"Ed?"

There was no answer. Peter smiled. He wished he could fall asleep instantaneously like his brother could. His mind was racing. Jade was mysterious and pretty and smart and Peter knew that he already had a crush on her. She probably thought he was a bit of an air-head for getting so lost so easily. He rolled over, adjusting his pillows. And much to his surprise, he fell right to sleep.


	2. It all started with a vase

**A/N: **so i just ended up deleting the entire rewritten version of the first chapter and starting 'afresh.' i like it much better... for now. so continuing on then--don't forget to review :))

* * *

"Peter! Peter! Wake up!" Lucy shouted, shaking her older brother.

He opened one eye to look at her before covering his face with a pillow.

"Come _on_ Pete!" Edmund grumbled. "I'm hungry."

Peter sighed and rolled out of bed. The girls were already dressed and ready for the day but Edmund was still in his pajamas and slippers.

"Are you going down like that?" Peter asked, gesturing Edmund.

"Are _you_?" Edmund snapped back, pulling on a robe.

"No." He rolled his eyes. "Susan, Lucy, we'll be five minutes."

"Alright. But hurry up now. It's past eight. The Professor said last night that breakfast is generally at eight," Susan said as she shut the door behind her.

"Get dressed, Ed."

"Don't boss me around!"

Peter glared at his brother.

"Get dressed," he repeated coldly.

"Alright, alright."

Edmund dressed and was ready in no time at all. Peter fussed over his disobedient hair with a wet comb and, in Edmund's opinion spent a little too long deciding on what to wear.

"Come on!" Edmund moaned. His stomach rumbled softly.

"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go get the girls."

The girls were in their room making their beds.

"Took you long enough," Lucy commented as they started down the steps.

"Yeah, Ed," Peter looked over at his brother slyly.

"What?" Edmund shoved him. "It was you who couldn't decide on a shirt."

Susan gave Peter an inquisitive look. Peter shoved Edmund.

"Stop it, you two," Susan sighed. "Do any of you have any idea where we are or where we are going?"

"We're going to the kitchen," Peter said confidently, leading them through a door and down a staircase.

After five minutes of going up and down stairs and through doors Peter finally admitted that he didn't know where he was going.

"We've been going in circles," Lucy commented, gesturing at an umbrella stand that they had passed twice before.

"Have you?" Jade asked. They all jumped.

"How do you always turn up like that?" Edmund asked rudely. "It gets rather annoying."

"Well excuse me then. I'll just go." She pushed past Edmund, knocking him back into the wall.

"Hey!" he protested.

She turned around and stared him down. "Move next time."

Peter hurried after her down the hall, the girls and an even more cranky Edmund.

"Jade. Jade! Wait!" He grabbed her arm.

She stopped, taking his hand and removing it from her arm.

"Yes?"

"I er, we're a bit lost... again."

She didn't say anything.

"So would you be a dear and show us to the dining room?" Susan asked in a rush.

Jade smiled at Susan and Lucy. "I'd love to."

Susan grinned appreciatively at her. They linked arms and led the way.

"What's up with her?" Edmund asked Peter. Peter shrugged.

Mrs. Macready was in the dining room setting breakfast on the table.

"Good morning, Mrs. Macready," Jade said happily, sitting down at the table. Susan and Peter sat on either side of her.

"Indeed," Mrs. Macready said. "The Professor had an early breakfast and went into town to see an old friend. He leaves his apologies to all of you and a promise that he'll bring a new book home for you, dear."

Jade beamed at her.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Jade was smiling and looking around at all of them, but she didn't say anything. A few comments were made about the cloudy weather and the scrambled eggs but other than that the only noise was that of forks on china.

"Pass the butter, will you Lu?" Susan asked.

Lucy obliged.

"Are you alright, Jade?" Lucy asked.

Jade's smile had faded and she was staring out the window with a slightly clouded expression. She turned slowly to face Lucy and gave her a serious look.

"I'm just thinking. I need to talk to the Professor when he gets back. Excuse me." And she got up and left.

"What's with her?" Lucy asked.

Edmund opened his mouth stupidly, rolling his eyes and twirling his index finger at the side of his head.

"She is not crazy!" Peter said defensively. He threw a cloth napkin at Edmund's face and exited the room, too.

* * *

He didn't know what had made him follow her. Something about her was just...magnetic. He couldn't help it. He looked up and down the hall and headed through an open door. He ran down another hallway and turned a corner just in time to see a door close. He hesitated before opening it but found the room empty.

"Jade?" he asked in whisper. There was no reply.

He went through a door on his left.

"Yes?"

"Oh! Mrs. Macready, have you seen Jade?"

"When in doubt, check the library."

"Could--could you direct me to the library?"

"Well heaven knows there are already enough bookshelves in this house so I'll show you."

"Thank you."

Peter almost had to jog to keep up with Mrs. Macready's swift walk. He almost ran into her when she stopped abruptly.

"Through the double doors at the end of the hall."

"Thank you," Peter said again.

He opened one of the doors and stepped hesitantly into the room. It was dimly lit, like the majority of the house. Light shone feebly through the light curtains. The room had a musty smell. He could see the dust collected in the light from the tall windows. Books lined the high walls and rows of shelves, sat on end tables and were stacked on chairs, and were even piled in neat stacks.

Peter circled the shelves of books, looking down the rows while catching various titles of the books. He recognized most of them from the school library. He found Jade in the last aisle he looked down, sitting cross-legged with a large brown book in her lap. She didn't look up when he walked towards her. She closed the book softly.

He sat down next to her, looking down at the book she was reading. The picture of a tower and a girl sitting in its only window was faded, but the gold lettering remained bright.

"It's one of my favorites," Jade said.

She stood and slid it into an empty space in one of the shelves. Peter stood, too. He followed her out of the library and back to the dining room.

"Where have you two been?" Lucy asked.

"Library," Jade said.

"You have a library?" Susan asked.

"It's huge," Peter said.

"But there are books everywhere. You have more?" Edmund asked.

"It's like a real library."

"Where's she off to?" Lucy asked.

Peter turned. Jade had left.

"Who knows," he sighed.

"She's a queer girl," Susan said. "But I think we'll be good friends in time."

* * *

The children explored the house for the rest of the morning. Lucy disappeared for a few minutes, returning with a magnificent story of a hidden land in the back of a wardrobe they had passed in one of the rooms and a faun named Tumnus. They figured she had dozed off.

Mrs. Macready found them for lunch.

"The Professor won't return until nightfall and Jade won't be joining you so I expect that you will not get into any shenanigans. I'll be leading a group about the house today so be sure to stay out of the way."

She left them before they could ask questions.

After lunch they meandered around the house until they found the library. Jade was carrying a stack of books to an empty shelf.

"Want to play a game?" Lucy asked her.

"What game?" she asked, obviously uninterested.

"Well I don't know. I guess we could play hide-and-seek or something."

"Alright."

Susan offered to be 'it.' They scattered in the hallway, Edmund and Lucy going right and Jade going left. Peter followed Jade.

She ran around the house before stopping in an empty room. The only things on the walls were various tapestries and some candle brackets. Peter closed the door behind them, breathing heavily.

"Following me?" Jade asked.

"You know this house better than anyone."

"I do."

She went back into the hallway and around a corner. Peter followed, bumping into her.

"What--?"

"Sh!" she hissed.

He listened. Mrs. Macready was somewhere near with her tour group.

"Where is she?" Peter asked.

"I don't know," Jade breathed.

She crept down the hallway and looked around the corner, Peter one step behind her. A woman's voice shrieked with laughter, followed by some other chuckling voices. Jade stepped back, bumping into Peter, who, in turn, bumped into a table. The vase on the table wobbled. Peter shut his eyes and braced himself for the smash, but it didn't come.

He opened his eyes to see the vase suspended in midair. Jade's hand was outstretched as if to catch it and her face bore a look of complete and utter horror. Mrs. Macready's voice rang louder with each passing second. Peter shakily replaced the vase on its table and grabbed Jade's hand, ignoring the familiar static shock and running down the hall to the empty room.

Jade pushed one of the tapestries aside and disappeared. Peter followed, intruiged and found himself in the library again. Jade grabbed his arm and pulled him behind a bookshelf. Susan was leaving the room.

"What just happened?" Peter asked.

Jade sank down onto the floor against one of the shelves.

"I don't know. You--the vase--Mrs..." she trailed off, shaking her head.

Peter paced up and down the aisle for something to do. He was just as in shock as Jade was. He nearly tripped when Jade gasped.

"What now?"

She held up her arm. Her sleeve was pushed back and her wrist bore black crescent moon and star.

He sat next to her and softly touched the tattoo. It felt like touching ice.

"What is happening to me?" Jade sobbed, burying her face in her other arm.

"I don't know, but as soon as the Professor gets home we'll see if he knows."

He squeezed her hand comfortingly. His wrist brushed hers briefly.

There was a sudden burst of light as a blue orb surrounded their adjoining hands. Jade screamed but the sound was somehow dead and didn't carry through the room. Their feet were slowly lifting off the ground as the blue orb sent pulses of light up and down the aisle. Jade took Peter's other hand and the orb grew until it surrounded both of them. No words could describe the alarm that they were feeling. The orb changed colors: first red, then purple, blue again, green, purple again, pink, orange, and then gold. It shimmered and sparkled. Jade's eyes turned from their dark blue to deep violet. And then the orb disappeared and they toppled onto the floor.

"Get off me," Jade groaned.

"Sorry," said Peter, hastily standing up. He brushed glitter from the orb off of his shoulder.

"What?" he asked. Jade was staring at his right hand. He looked at it. It seemed completely normal.

"Your--your wrist! You've got one too!"

He let out a cry of surprise. Sure enough, there was a black sun imprinted on his right wrist. He touched it gingerly. It burned his finger.

"It's hot!" he said. "And yours is cold."

He took her hand gingerly and traced the moon and star.

"What's happening to me?" she asked again, horrified.

"I don't know. Your eyes changed color, too."

She touched her face with her unmarked hand and closed her eyes to hold back tears. Peter hadn't noticed that he was still holding her hand. He put his other hand on top of hers on her cheek comfortingly.

"There you two are!" Lucy called. "Susan, Edmund, I found them!"

Peter let go of Jade's hand and dropped his other, hastily stuffing them into his pockets. Jade took a step back.

"We've been looking for you for ages and ages," Susan said.


	3. We're going to be dear friends

"Have you two been hiding here this whole time?"

"Oh, yes," Peter said quickly. "We've been here for ages!"

Jade nodded.

"And now, after this frightfully entertaining game, I shall take my leave," Jade said, curtsying and hurrying away.

"Jade, wait!" Peter called after her.

"Oh shove off, Pete. You've obviously upset her somehow. It's better she's angry and somewhere else than angry here," Edmund said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like she'll ever like you anyway. She doesn't like anyone. Just look at her. Selfish, I say."

"Shut-up, Ed. What do you know about girls anyway?" Peter snapped, shoving is brother and following Jade.

"Well met, both of you," Susan said sourly. "Come on, Lucy, let's go find something else to do."

The girls left Edmund standing alone and angry at Peter and Jade.

* * *

Peter caught up with Jade easily.

"What do we do now?" he asked, gesturing at his marked wrist.

"What do you mean 'what do we do now?' We don't do anything," she hissed, quickening her pace.

"Don't be stupid, we have to tell someone. The Professor would know what to do about this, wouldn't he? We need to figure out what this all means."

Jade stopped suddenly, turning to Peter.

"Look. I don't know what happened. I don't know what this is. I don't _want_ to know. I don't want to have anything to do with this. All you and your family have been is trouble ever since you got here. So do us all a favor and just leave me alone."

Peter was taken aback. One minute she was practically crying on his shoulder and the next she was telling him to get lost. It took him a few seconds to realize that she had just stormed down the hall.

"What?" he gasped, jogging to catch up with her. She refused to look at him, only moving faster and faster until they were both almost jogging. Peter grabbed her wrist and pulled her to face him.

"Excuse me for upsetting your perfect order, but this," he held up the black sun, "isn't something we can just ignore."

"Watch me," she snarled. She attempted to twist out of his grip but he just held tighter, grabbing her other hand.

"What is your problem?" he asked.

"Swallow a reality pill _Pete_. This can't be really happening. This _can't_be real. It's simpy impossible."

"Well why don't you take your own advice _Jade_?" She fought him as he tried to push back her sleeve but lost miserably. "This isn't going away. When you wake up tomorrow it will still be here.

"And so will I," he added, releasing her and stalking off down the hall.

* * *

Dinner that night was extremely awkward. Peter had not only struck up a miniature battle with Jade. He had bullied Edmund and scolded Susan and yelled at everyone in general until Lucy started to cry and he hid himself inside the room he shared with Edmund. The professor had returned and was also silent as dinner progressed. All that was heard was the rumble of an oncoming thunderstorm over the forest.

"Excuse me," Jade said after what felt like hours of silence. She dropped her napkin on her plate and exited the room silently, yet haughtily.

"I think I'll turn in early as well," Susan said. Her exit was much less dignified. She tried to be smooth and graceful as she left but tripped on Lucy's chair leg and tumbled to the ground.

"Susan!" Lucy cried. "Are you alright?"

Edmund burst into laughter.

"Shut-up, Ed," Peter said, going to help his sister up.

She took his hand and they left together.

"A lot of tension in the house, I see," the professor said quietly.

"You have no idea," Edmund rolled his eyes and shoved his chair backwards. He tossed his napkin over his shoulder as he, too, exited the room.

Lucy burst into tears. She ran to the professor and sat on his lap, telling him about her adventures in the upstairs wardrobe and how no one believed her and about all of the arguments that had arisen in the house throughout the day.

"It seems I need to have a talk with Peter and Jade," he said softly. "Now come. We'll get ourselves a cup of tea before turning in, shall we?"

* * *

Peter and Susan sat in the room that Susan shared with Lucy in an awkward silence. As the two oldest, they were responsible for Edmund and little Lucy. The day had been terrible. Peter felt ashamed at his behavior. Susan was just homesick.

Peter finally couldn't stand the lack of conversation and turned on the radio that sat in the corner. His eyes wandered out the window to the approaching storm. If this was how the whole summer was going to be he would go mad.

"Su-- do you," he started.

"Yes?"

"Never-mind."

"What's bothering you?"

"Nothing."

"What happened between you and Jade today?"

"I--she--What?" he spluttered.

"Oh come off it. We all know you got into some kind of argument or something."

"On the contrary we were getting along quite well," he said matter-of-factly.

"Really? Is that why you were yelling at each other in the hallway?"

"You followed us?! Susan, you little sneak!"

"I wasn't intending on following you! I was trying to find my way around the house. It wasn't like you were conversing in whispers."

"Well, I tried to reason--"

"What did you do, Peter? We've only been here a few short days and already you're upsetting everyone!"

Peter was speechless.

"I was just... well, I guess I..."

There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Peter called, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat.

It was Mrs. Macready. She eyed them both as if they had been up to something malicious.

"You, boy. The professor would like a word with you. Follow me."

"Peter," Susan scolded. "What have you done now?"

He shrugged, following Mrs. Macready out into the hall.

* * *

The professor seemed tired and weary as he motioned for Peter to sit and filled his pipe. Peter bit his cheek, wondering what the old man was going to say. Had he heard about all of the trouble Peter had been causing lately?

"It seems your sister is rather upset," he began slowly. So Lucy had ratted him out. Typical little sister.

"Yes, I--"

"She tells me something miraculous happened in the upstairs wardrobe."

"Oh, don't mind her, Sir. She must have taken a little nap and--"

"Do you really think so?"

"Well, of course I--"

There was a soft knock and Jade entered the room.

"You wanted a word, professor?" she said, scowling at Peter. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"Sit, my dear, and we shall talk. It seems it has been a rather trying day for all of us."

"Indeed," she muttered under her breath. She sat in the chair next to Peter.

The professor watched both of them closely as they observed the room around them, avoiding each other at all costs. Finally, Jade spoke.

"Peter and I just had a little dispute. It's silly really. We were playing hide-and-seek with his siblings and I bumped into him and he knocked a vase over."

The professor said nothing.

"Well that's not all, Sir," Peter began, "See Jade--" He winced. The professor couldn't see Jade stomp on Peter's foot over the desk.

"Well, we," Peter continued, eyeing Jade meaningfully. "_We_ argued over whose fault it was."

"And it was blown out of proportion," Jade added. "We're really sorry we got everyone in the house in a fuss over our bad tempers. It won't happen again, will it Peter?"

She gave him a look of purest loathing. He grimaced.

"It won't," he mumbled.

"Now that's what I like to hear," the professor smiled. "That's it then? Just a broken vase? Anything else?"

Peter moved to show his wrist but Jade grabbed his hand and held it to the arm of his chair.

"That's it. All's resolved." She grinned at Peter but her eyes still had hate written all over them. He smiled back. "I really think Peter and I will become dear friends.

Professor Kirke raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing at his lips.

"Goodnight, then professor." Peter stood, holding tight to the hand that Jade had given him. She tried to wriggle free but couldn't without arousing suspicion with the professor. They left the room quickly.

"What is wrong with you?" Jade hissed, tugging her hand away. Peter snatched it back.

"Didn't you listen to yourself?" Peter laughed. "All's well. We're going to be _dear_ friends."

"Let go."

"No."

"Let go."

"No."

"I said--"

Their wrists brushed.

"Nice. Real smooth," Jade hissed.


	4. Peace in the house? Not for long!

Peter was still sulking as the week progressed. Jade had made a point of ignoring and avoiding him at all costs. He didn't understand why she was so mad at him all of the sudden. He knew she was upset but it was taking all of his self control to not go and tell the professor immediately so that it would all be fixed and she would at least look at him without the hate that came off of her in waves.

Jade was trying her best to be sweet and kind to everyone. Except Peter. The marks they now bore and the connection between them scared her, but she was too stubborn to admit it. She hoped that by ignoring the moon and star on her wrist and Peter it would all go away and end up as a bad dream. In the back of her mind, though, she knew that it wouldn't go anywhere. And she knew it was something a lot bigger than Peter could ever know. Bigger than anyone but the professor and her father could understand. Something that tied her to her mother.

As much as it pained her, though, Jade knew that she should apologize. Her behavior was unfair. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't blame it all on him. He was just trying to help, she knew, but she didn't want to accept that their destinies were intertwined somehow because of the stupid magic tattoos.

She found him wandering around, probably lost, as usual. He looked up, but, noticing who it was, he stopped dead and looked away out a window.

"Peter," Jade said softly, coming up beside him.

There was a long pause. Jade expected him to be angry with her. She expected him to yell. Much to her surprise, he didn't say anything. She bit her lip and shuffled her feet a little, gathering up enough of herself to say what she knew was necessary.

"Peter, I uh, I just wanted to--I just wanted to apologize."

He remained silent.

"My actions were selfish and it was unfair to you."

For a second she thought that he was ignoring her as she had done to him, but then she noticed the smile that was inching its way onto his face. She grinned in triumph.

"So I--" she started.

"Don't," Peter interrupted. "Forgive and forget?"

She hugged him.

"Thank you. I really am sorry."

He laughed, spinning her around him.

"Forgive and forget," he repeated.

She beamed at him.

"Dinner?" he asked.

She linked her arm with his and they headed toward the kitchen.

* * *

"At last," Susan sighed.

Edmund chortled. Lucy grinned.

They were shocked but pleased when Peter and Jade had walked into the dining room arm in arm and, of all things, laughing. The professor followed them in shortly afterwards. He was in a much better mood than he had been in the previous night. It was like their first meal together--except that this time Jade joined in, laughing and teasing Edmund.

All were contented by bed-time except Edmund, who was annoyed with Jade and Peter for their tag-team teasing. He supposed that it was better than when they were fighting, but he really wished they would find a new target. It was getting old.

He tossed and turned for what felt like hours, unable to drift off to sleep. He finally sat up, completely awake.

"Pete?" he hissed. "Pete are you awake?"

There was no answer. Edmund scowled at his brother, sleeping peacefully. He fought the temptation to wake his brother and decided to use the bathroom and get a glass of water. He pulled on a robe and stuffed his feet into his slippers before venturing out into the hall. He grabbed a candle from the bedside table and lit it, closing the door quietly behind him. He turned to head down the hall and froze, covering the small flame. Lucy was leaving her room, too. He followed her silently as she walked around the house. Just as he was about to give her up as a sleepwalker she opened a door and disappeared into one of the empty rooms that they had seen on their first day of exploring. He peered around the edge of the door and watched her enter the famed wardrobe that had set her off on an adventure of wild proportions just a few days ago. Could it be real?

"Of course not," he assured himself. He entered the room cautiously, heart racing as the floorboards creaked.

"Lucy," he called. "Come on out! I know you're in there!"

There was no reply. He opened the wardrobe door slowly, straining his eyes to see a small girl among the fur coats that filled the space. He set the candle on the floor and stepped in, closing the door behind him.

"Lucy? Stop hiding like a child!"

There was still no answer. He felt around among the furs, trying to find the back of the wardrobe.

"Lucy!" he said again.

Still no answer! He turned around, feeling for the door now, but it had vanished somehow. All he could feel was the thick fur that surrounded him. And then he tripped and fell backward into a freezing pile of snow.


	5. A Dream

**A/N: **well. my memory is like my mothers--i've been caught up in track season and my fictionpress stuff and neglected this beloved tale. i'll change the title to static with the next chapter--which will be up at least by the end of next week. as a peace offering, i hope you enjoy this quickie chapter that i threw together in haste just now instead of sleeping. reviews are warm fuzzies. even if you say you hate my guts haha :) i promise a much longer chapter next time but this is better than nothing, am i right?

* * *

Peter was dreaming. It was one of those dreams that don't exactly feel real, more fantasy than anything, but it was such that a smile was fixed on his calm face. He was riding a horse through the woods, racing Ed. Ed eventually fell behind, with much whooping from Peter. In his stead, Susan appeared, a determined look in her eye. Peter clicked his tongue and dug his heels into the horse, waving to his sister as he left her in the dust. He rode into a clearing, past Lucy and his mother and father, who were cheering him heartily. He plunged into the thick of the trees again and rounded a bend. He glanced behind his shoulder quickly and laughed, exhilarated by his speed and success. The trees began to thicken, their ever larger trunks spaced closer and closer together. Something had changed.

The trees weren't the only things that were different. The ground was darker and seemed softer than the dry, hard-packed floor of the forest he had raced his siblings through. The air was clearer, as if it had recently rained. Peter slowed his horse, turning his head this way and that, in search of any sort of life. He could hear birds in the distance and once or twice swore he saw a squirrel. Something pulled him onward, even though he wished to turn around and return to his family in the clearing.

He let go of the reins and watched in silent wonder as his horse continued to pick through the trees dutifully. Eventually, the trees became so large and so many that he had to climb off the horse's back and continue on foot, crawling over the log-sized roots. Exhausted, he pulled himself up onto yet another and scraped his hand. Swearing under his breath he looked down and his cut hand and then onto the tree to see what had done it. There were symbols carved into the giant root. He brushed some dirt away and a leaf to reveal the letter 'c,' a star, and a circle. He stared at them for a moment before realizing what they really were. It was a moon and star and a sun, faded on the bark from the wear of time.

He felt a sense of real purpose now and hurried as fast as he could over and under and around until the trees ended. It was a clearing--but very different from the one in which three members of his family stood. It was perfectly round and surrounded by the enormous trees. Directly in the center, a tower was built from stone. He walked around it, searching for a door. The grass, though long and soft--the kind that sways in the slightest wind--crackled as he stepped. He looked up and froze. Up in a window sat a girl.

"Peter!" she called in a childish voice. "Peter, wake up!"

He was confused. Why would he want to wake up? He desperately wanted to know who the inhabitant of the tower was.

"Peter!"

And now the world was shaking and fading into black. Peter sat up in his bed quickly, searching for the culprit.

Lucy was jumping up and down on the bed, shouting for him to wake and grinning from ear to ear.

"Come on, Edmund!" she called happily. "Come, let's tell Peter!"

Edmund trudged through the door, his slippers dragging noisily on the carpet.


End file.
